Draft requirements for real-time SST metadata that relate to VOS
Notes:

Cells in grey are not appropriate for particular field

A yes only indicates presence of field, not consistency of content, precision, units etc.

A “no” indicates that the field is not available for FM-13/IMMT/IMMA/Pub. 47.

All coded values need to be defined. Many will be adequately defined by FM13/IMMT/IMMA but some will need updating, consolidating or need to be developed from
scratch. Of particular interest to META-T might be:
 original units of SST measurement
 precision of SST measurement
 method of SST measurement

The QC fields required are presently undefined.

This is intended to be a maximal set of requirements.

"att" indicates field available in optional IMMA attachment

In the META-T category:
o
Category 1 – Metadata required for real-time distribution along with observational data
o
Category 1* - Metadata required for real-time distribution along with observational data
which does not require transmission from platform but which requires ancillary
metadata information which is not currently available (Pub. 47 = no) or if available (Pub.
47 = yes) requires up-to-date information from Publication No. 47 to be available
electronically
o
Category 2 – Metadata required for real-time applications but made available separately
from the observations via a national server (note: for VOS this requires up-to-date
information from Publication No. 47 is available electronically which is not currently the
case)
o
Category 3 – Non-real time metadata available via a national server
Available in Format?
#
METAT cat.
FM13
IMMT
IMMA
1
No
No
No
10 char
1
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
text/ code
10 digit
2
No
No
No
Yes
text/ code
10 char
3
No
No
No
No
Yes
No (VOS
only,
some
platforms)
att
No (VOS
only,
some
platforms)
Description
Comments
Units
1
Unique tag
Unique identifier
for report, to e.g.
associate
abbreviated realtime report and
more complete
delayed-mode
report
code
2
Ship
identifier
ITU callsign
text/ code
3
Ship
identifier
IMO number
4
Ship
identifier
masked/encrypted
5
Platform
type
identifier
VOS, platform,
buoy, etc. - required
when combining
reports from
multiple platforms
Precision
code
Range
2
-1-
Pub. 47
Available in Format?
METAT cat.
FM13
IMMT
IMMA
Pub. 47
code
2
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
e.g. research vessel,
trawler, container
ship
code
2
No
No
att
Yes
Type of
observing
system
e.g. manual, AWS,
hybrid
code
2
No
No
No
No
9
Type of
logging
e.g. manual,
TurboWin Ver. x,
SEAS, BATOS
text/ code
2
No
No
No
Yes
10
Original
format of
transmitted
report
e.g. FM-13, type of
national AWS
transmission format
text/ code
2
n/a
Yes
No
No
11
Format
version
Version of this
storage/transmission
format
No
12
Collecting
centre
For archive, which
GTS collecting
centre was used
13
GTS
Bulletin ID
14
Originator
15
Year
16
Month
17
Day
#
Description
Comments
Units
6
Country
Of recruitment or
operator
7
Type of ship
8
18
Hour
text/ code
2
No
code
2
No
No
Yes
code
2
No
No
Yes
For GTS, which
centre inserted data
only to GTS
code
2
Yes
No
Yes
YYYY required if
to be used for
historical data
years
whole
years
0000: 9999
1
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
months
whole
months
1:12
1
No
Yes
Yes
quarter
day of
month or
day of year
whole
days
1:31
1:366
1
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
hour of day
(GMT)
whole
hours or
fractional
hours to
0.01
0:23
0:23.99
1
Yes
Yes
Yes
whole
minutes
or
fractional
minutes
to 0.01
0:59
0:59.99
1
No
No
Yes
1*
No
No
Yes
1
Yes
Yes
Yes
integer or fractional
to include minutes?
Minutes
integer fractional to
include seconds?
minute of
hour
(GMT)
20
Time
indicator
flag
gives
resolution/precision
of original time
information
code
Latitude
Range
Yes (FM13
version
only)
19
21
Precision
degrees
0.01˚
required
for e.g.
GHRSST
-2-
-90:90
No
Available in Format?
#
22
Description
Comments
Longitude
Units
degrees
23
Position
indicator
flag
gives
resolution/precision
of original time
information or
indicates if obtained
by interpolation
24
Position
method flag
e.g. GPS, dead
reckoning, GPS
with selective
availability
code
25
Ship speed
over ground
"instantaneous
value" over similar
period as
observations, e.g.
10 minutes as
opposed to speed
made good over
previous 3 hours
Knots
26
Ship speed
indicator
flag
method of ship
speed data
code
27
Ship
direction
"instantaneous
value"
mixed
degrees and
code
28
Ship
direction
indicator
flag
method of ship
direction data
code
29
Ship heading
"instantaneous
value"
mixed
degrees and
code
30
Ship heading
flag
method of ship
heading data
31
Relative
wind speed
"instantaneous
value"
32
Relative
wind speed
indicator
flag
33
Relative
wind
direction
34
Relative
wind
direction
indicator
flag
Precision
Range
METAT cat.
FM13
IMMT
IMMA
0.01˚
required
for e.g.
GHRSST
various
e.g.
0:359.99?
-179.99:
180.00
1
Yes
Yes
Yes
code
1*
No
No
Yes
1*
No
No
No
1
No
No
att
1*
No
No
No
1
Yes
Yes
Yes
1*
No
No
No
1
No
No
att
1*
No
No
No
1
No
No
att
1*
No
No
No
1
No
No
att
1*
No
No
No
Knots
1
1
1
0.1
0.99
1-360 (0
calm and
361, 362
codes)
1-360 (0
calm and
361, 362
codes)
0:99.9
code
"instantaneous
value"
mixed
degrees and
code
1
code
-3-
1-360 (0
calm and
361, 362
codes)
Pub. 47
No
No
No
No
No
No
Available in Format?
#
Precision
Range
METAT cat.
FM13
IMMT
IMMA
0.1
-99.9:
99.9?
-99.99:
99.99?
1
Yes
Yes
Yes
1*
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
0:99?
0:99.9"
1*
No
No
att
Yes
-99:99?
-99.9:99.9"
1
No
No
att
code
1
No
No
Yes
No
code
1*
No
No
Yes
No
code
1*
No
No
No
No
code
3
No
Yes
Yes
code
2
No
No
No
Description
Comments
35
SST
note 0.01 precision
is required if units
of K are mandated,
this higher precision
might also be
desirable for high
quality observations
(e.g. high time
resolution TSG
from RV)
36
Method of
SST
measurement
note: all the code
formats have
different
categories/codes
code
37
Depth of
SST
sampling
below maximum
summer load line
(height for
radiometers)
m
38
Difference
of MSLL
from MWL
as for VOSClim,
gives change in
draft
M
39
Original
units of SST
measurement
40
Precision of
SST
measurement
41
Sampling
interval and
scheme for
SST
measurement
42
QC
indicator(s)
43
VOSClim
indicator
e.g. instantaneous
value, 10 minute
average, 10 minute
median
Indicates
participation in
VOSClim program
Units
˚C
1
1
-4-
Pub. 47
Yes